Exploring Domestic Study Away through the National Student Exchange

Students often hear about opportunities to expand their horizons abroad, but few students realize they can gain a different cultural perspective without leaving North America or going too far from home. In this interactive presentation students will be given information about the benefits of domestic travel in the United States, US territories, and Canada as a part of their USC experience. Paying specific attention to the National Student Exchange, students will learn: reasons for going on a national exchange, how to plan their exchange, the periods for exchange, cost of exchange, how to locate a list of the schools available for exchange, special exchange opportunities, and real life stories from current/former national exchange students. Students will receive a handout at the end of the program that contains contact and other important information about embarking on a national exchange. Additionally, students will learn about various independent programs available for domestic exchange that can help connect to their specific area of study.

Learning Outcomes

This presentation supports the following University 101 Learning Outcomes:I. Foster Academic Success
f)Identify relevant academic polices, processes, and procedures related to advising, course planning, and major exploration.II. Help Students Discover and Connect with The University of South Carolina
a)Identify appropriate campus resources and opportunities that contribute to their educational experience, goals, and campus engagement.III. Prepare Students for Responsible Lives in a Diverse, Interconnected, and Changing World
a)Describe concepts of diversity and recognize diverse perspectives.

As a result of this presentation, students will be able to:

Connect their career and/or personal goals to the benefits of exchange

Identify the steps to take to plan for an exchange

Identify the timeline for exchanges

Identify possible sites for exchange

Identify who to talk to about going on a national exchange

Program Description

This presentation takes place in your classroom and facilitators are generally graduate or professional staff from the Office of Student Engagement and/or current/former National Student Exchange students who provide a power point presentation on the National Student Exchange experience. The 45 minute presentation is designed to be interactive.

Presentation Outline

Introduction of Presentation

Introduction of presenter

Where have you been in the US?

Introduction of presentation

General overview of goals of presentation

Trivia America

Trivia can be played individually or in groups

Trivia game should be fun and engaging, getting students to think about things they may not know, or may have forgotten, about the US.

Presentation

What opportunities are there for Domestic Study Away?

National Student Exchange

Faculty-Led Programs

Independent Programs

Why do students study away? Motivation and research. Participation- why would YOU want to study away?

Detailed overview of NSE locations, how to participate, and cost

Brief overview of current faculty programs

Brief overview of various independent programs

Introduce NSE alumni and have them share their experience, if NSE alumni are unavailable, will show video of USC NSE alumni

Luggage Tag Reflection

Presenters will handout luggage tags and ask students to reflect on what they have learned during the presentation via the 3 questions:

If going on exchange, what would be your top expectation/thing you would want to experience during your time at your host campus?

What steps would you take to become fully involved in your host campus?

How do you think going on exchange might benefit your future?

Follow up Activities

Self-reflection Journal Prompts

Have students pick an NSE school they would like to attend and write a one page summary of why they would want to go there, how it would benefit them and connect to their career goals, and what they could do while they were there. This same assignment could be used as an oral presentation.

Interview someone from another state, find out what they appreciate most about their home state, and why it might be cool to visit there.

Have interested students set up an appointment to talk with someone in the Office of Student Engagement about participating. Then have students submit a plan and timeline for the potential exchange as an assignment.